John 14:18-21 — Indwelling Presence

John 14:18-21 — Indwelling Presence —Aneel Aranha 

Hello and welcome to the Bite-Sized Gospel. Today, we will reflect on John 14:18-21. Listen.

[Jesus said:] "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."

Jesus continues to comfort his disciples in light of his imminent departure. He promises that he will not leave them as orphans but will come to them. This coming refers to the appearances he will make post his resurrection and his spiritual presence through the Holy Spirit.

He then makes a wonderful promise: "Because I live, you also will live." His life is the guarantee of our life. Because he has conquered death and lives forever, we, too, will live eternally. Our life is bound up with his life.

But there's more. Jesus speaks of a mutual indwelling: "I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." This speaks of the intimate spiritual union that exists between the Father and the Son, but also with those who believe in him. We are not just following a distant God but actually united with Christ.

Once again, Jesus connects love and obedience. He says that whoever keeps his commands is the one who loves him. And whoever loves Jesus will be loved by the Father and by Jesus himself. In fact, Jesus promises to manifest himself to those who love him. This is an incredible promise — the very presence of Christ is promised to those who love and obey him.

This passage reminds us that, as believers, we are never alone. Christ has promised his indwelling presence to us. You may have heard the verse where Jesus says: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). We don’t really need two or three to have Jesus in our midst; our faith in him is enough. We are united with him and, through him, with the Father. As we love and obey Jesus, we will experience more and more of his presence in our lives.

As we reflect on these verses, let's ask ourselves: Do we cherish the indwelling presence of Christ? Are we seeking to love and obey him, knowing this is the path to experiencing more of his presence?

God bless you.